A BUSY Accident and Emergency department was closed for more than 14 hours after the suspected suicide of millionaire shipping magnate Sir Derek Bibby.

Sir Derek's body was found to contain agricultural chemicals which caused a reaction which threatened the safety of staff and patients at Arrowe Park in Wirral.

He was rushed to hospital after being found by family members slumped in the cellar of their luxury home in Willaston, Wirral.

It is believed he had ingested a mixture of water and highly toxic aluminium phosphide that gave off the fumigant gas phosphine.

Because of a possible risk to patients and hospital workers, officials activated the hospital's emergency chemical incident procedure and ordered the evacuation of a major part of the accident and emergency department.

Around two dozen people were evacuated from the resuscitation and major injuries units.

Traffic jams built up on nearby roads, including the busy Arrowe Park roundabout, as the hospital was sealed off.

A chemical expert raced from Preston to give help and advice at the scene.

Sir Derek's body was moved to what was described as a "secure area." But, despite this, fumes continued to circulate and the decision was taken to move people away from the immediate vicinity.

Sir Derek's body and the immediate area of casualty were eventually declared safe by public health officers at around midnight and most of the fire crews were stood down from alert.

At 3am firefighters in chemical suits placed his body in a coffin and it was transferred to the mortuary at Arrowe Park where it is being held in what is described as an enclosed area.

A police spokeswoman confirmed that the Wirral coroner has been informed about Sir Derek's death.

Throughout the night 17 ambulances were diverted away from Arrowe Park - eight to the Countess of Chester, seven to the Royal Liverpool, one to Clatterbridge and one to Alder Hey.

Merseyside police spokeswoman said: "The A&E unit was closed as a precaution but there was no immediate risk to other members of the public."

In a statement, Wirral Hospital NHS Trust said the A&E department had been temporarily closed because of a "chemical contamination incident."

They confirmed the source of the contamination was the body of a man who was taken to the hospital at 4pm and was found to be contaminated with a hazardous chemical susbtance.

The Trust said that all patients were immediately removed from the department to a place of safety but none had been affected.

Five members of the A&E staff who were in contact with the body experienced minor respiratory symptoms.

They have since been declared safe and allowed to return home. A hospital spokeswoman said there would be no lasting effects.

The ambulance was taken out of service and had to be vented as a precautionary measure.

The hospital's A&E department re-opened shortly before 6am today.

Wirral Coroner's office this morning confirmed that they had been informed about the death aand that an inquest would open following a post mortem by a home office pathologist.